A day of specialization
Because of the rapidly accumulating volume of knowledge today, it is becoming increasingly important to specialize in some business, industry, or profession. There is no escape. This, of course, doesn’t mean that an individual should not be well informed in the broad fundamentals and generalities. But it does mean that in addition to this he should to some extent be particularly knowledgeable in some aspect of his endeavors.
A rather frustrated individual the other day said, "Since we must know more and more about less and less, I guess this also means we must know less and less about more and more, which also means, pretty soon we are going to know everything about nothing and nothing about everything.”
Just how specialized are we?
Two fellows were talking the other day and one said, “Do you know, things are getting so specialized today that the National Biscuit Company even has a vice-president in charge of fig newtons.”
The other said, “I don’t believe it.”
“I’ll bet you,” said the first.
So they put up the money and then proceeded to call the National Biscuit Company.
One said, “I want to speak to the vice-president in charge of fig newtons.”
The answer came back, “Packaged or loose?”
The president of one of the largest rubber companies was recently making a speech. After he finished, the chairman opened the meeting for questions. A young man in the front row said, “Would it be too personal if I asked you how you got to be president of this big company?”
“Not at all,” was the president’s reply, “I was working in a filling station and not making much progress. One day I read that if a person wanted to get ahead he must know all there is to know about his particular product.”
“So, on one of my vacations I went back to the home office and watched them make rubber tires. I’d watch them put in the nylon chords. On one vacation I went to Africa to watch them plant the rubber trees and even extract the base of crude rubber.”
“So that when I talked about my product, I didn’t say, ‘this is what I’m told,’ or ‘this is what I read,’ or ‘this is what I think.’ No, I said, ‘this is what I know. I was there. I watched them put those nylon cords in to make the finest tire ever made, to protect your family against blowouts. I watched them extract that crude rubber to make the finest tire in the world.’ ”
He then continued, “There is no force in the world that has a greater impact than the statement of a knowledgeable person fortified by confidence and experience.”
A man who knows, and knows he knows, can speak with authority that has no comparison. The world makes way for a man who knows what he’s doing.
Only one wealth on this earth
Lincoln once said, “The older I get the more I realize that there is but one wealth, one security, on this earth and that is found in the ability of a person to perform his task well.” But he didn’t stop there. He went on to say, “And first and foremost this ability must start with knowledge.”
A superficial knowledge is not enough. It must be a knowledge capable of analyzing a situation quickly and making an immediate decision.
A quarterback in the closing moments of an important game called the wrong signal. A pass was intercepted and the game and conference championship were lost. That was on a Saturday. By Tuesday afternoon he had courage enough to venture out and be seen. He had to go out and get a haircut.
The barber, after a long silence, said, “I’ve been studying and thinking about that play you called last Saturday ever since you called it, and you know, if I had been in your shoes I don’t believe I would have called it.”
The quarterback without changing expression said, “No, and if I’d had until Tuesday afternoon to think about it, I wouldn’t have either.”
In this modern competitive and fast growing economy of today we often don’t have time to think things over and give the careful consideration to each situation which we would desire.
But still, I repeat, a superficial knowledge is not enough. Furthermore, a person who tries to substitute “gimmicks and gadgets and gizmos” for knowledge usually finds that it all boomerangs on him – he meets himself coming around the corner.
Such an attempt reminds one of the head hunter who bought himself a new boomerang. Then he spent the rest of his life trying to throw the old one away.
I feel very sorry for anyone who thinks it’s possible to substitute pull or personality or any other quality for fundamental knowledge.
Yes, let’s remember the sound advice of Will Rogers. If we are to be successful we must first know what we are doing.
Love what you are doing
But knowledge, important as it is, is not enough to ensure success in our complex society today. We have often heard it said, “A merely well-informed man is the most useless bore on earth.”
What was Will Rogers’ next statement?
Not only know what you are doing, but love what you are doing.
What are we working for? Do we love our work or are we working for money alone? If it’s for money alone we are underpaid, regardless of what we are making – furthermore, that’s all we shall be working for as long as we live.
Everybody loves to do business with an optimist. We can only be an optimist if we love what we are doing.
Nothing takes a greater toll on us than to be around a pessimist – a person finding fault and criticizing others. We’ve all seen the type. He has mental B.O. He’s a one man grievance committee, always in session. He criticizes everyone and everything. You ask him how is business and he says, “Well, I made a sale Monday. I didn’t sell anything Tuesday. Wednesday the deal I made Monday fell through – so, I guess Tuesday was really my best day.”
I was recently in Boston attending a convention. I was kicked out of the hotel after two days. I thought I had a three-day reservation.
As the elevator came down it stopped at the seventh floor, but nothing happened. I was irritated and in a hurry to catch an early plane and said, “Come on in.”
Nothing happened.
Again I said firmly, “Come in; let’s get the show on the road.”
Still nothing happened.
Finally, in a loud voice, I said, “Come on in – let’s go. I’ll be left.”
At that moment a fine looking man with a white cane, completely blind, stepped in cautiously feeling his way along.
I felt awful. I had to say something, so I cleared my throat and said, “How are you today?”
He smiled and said, “Grateful, my friend, grateful.”
I couldn’t say a thing – I was choked up. Any impatience or worry I had, simply shriveled into nothingness.
Here was a man blessing the darkness while I was cursing the light. I couldn’t have cared less whether I caught that plane. I found myself that night in my prayers asking that some day I might see as well as that person.
Actually, each morning when we wake up if we don’t find our names listed in the obituary column we should be so grateful that we are happy all day.
We can say something nice about every person or subject involved in a conversation. If not, we can at least remain silent. Nothing is all wrong.
Someone said that even the Black Hole of Calcutta was easy to heat.
Down in Mississippi we would say that Prohibition was horrible but that it was better than no whisky at all.
I heard a man’s name brought up the other day and someone lowered his voice and said, “Why, that fellow’s a confirmed alcoholic.”
The other person present said, “Well, at least, he ain’t no quitter.”
Let’s follow Will Rogers’s advice; let’s constantly seek a little larger slice out of life, a few more acres of the Garden of Eden. Let’s look for the happier things of existence. The great Will Rogers had the reputation of never critizing. Why? Because he never met a man he didn’t like.
Belive in what your are doing
Yes, Will Rogers said, “Know what you are doing – love what you are doing.”
But he didn’t stop there. He went further and said, “Believe in what you are doing.”
I heard of a man who telephoned his friend and said, “Jake, I’m having a little informal birthday party tomorrow night and I want you to come to it. Come just as you are; don’t stand on any ceremony. Just come right on up to the door and ring on the door bell with your elbow and come right in.”
The fellow said, “Well, that’s all fine and good, but why my elbow?”
His friend said, “Jake, maybe you didn’t understand. It’s my birthday. You are not coming empty-handed, are you?”
Above all else I don’t want you to be empty-handed. If you feel amused at a few anecdotes, if you are emotionally stirred or even mentally stimulated, that’s not enough.
The ultimate in human persuation
In order that you will not be empty-handed I shall give you in the next few sentences the greatest principle of human persuasion that exists. There is nothing which is even a close second. If there is anything that is worth remembering it is this:
People are persuaded more by the depth of your conviction than by the height of your logic – more by your own enthusiasm than any proof you can offer.
If I could describe the art of persuasion in one sentence it would be this and I know I would be right: persuasion is converting people – no, not to our way of thinking but to our way of feeling and believing. And if a person’s belief is sincere enough and deep enough he is a walking climate of positive acceptance. He has an obsession that cannot be denied.
The most persuasive person in the world is the man who has a fanatical belief in an idea, a product, or a service. The one common denominator of all great men in history is that they believed in what they were doing. If we could choose but one lantern to guide our footsteps over the perilous quicksands of the future it should be the guiding light of dedication.
It has been said that words are the fingers that mold the mind of man. Words, however, can be refused. But a positive attitude that springs from a sincere belief cannot.
You must first believe in the idea yourself
I’ve heard people say in effect, “Do you believe in clairvoyance, telepathy, or psychoprediction? It’s a strange thing, I knew that person was going to accept my idea the moment I walked in. Do you think I could have received thought transference?”
The answer is too obvious to need elaboration. The person presenting the idea had already made the big sale. He had bought the idea himself so completely that he was practically hypnotic in his persuasive powers.
On the other hand, I have heard a person say, “I can’t explain it but I knew that fellow was not going to accept my idea even before I opened my mouth.”
Of course he wasn’t. The person presenting the idea didn’t believe in it and he radiated this lack of belief. He was simply admitting that he had no enthusiasm for the idea and consequently he couldn’t project any enthusiasm.
Yes, I repeat, the world is a looking glass and gives back to every person a reflection of his own thoughts, beliefs, and enthusiasm.
I have a picture at home that a friend painted for me. It’s a picture of an old tramp sitting on a park bench. He has holes in his shoes, his knees are out, and he needs a shave. His hair looks as though it had been combed with an eggbeater and he’s chewing a straw. A Rolls Royce goes by driven by a chauffeur, carrying a man in a tall silk hat.
The tramp looks at it lazily and philosophically says, “There, except for me, go I.”
Don't chain yourself to mediocrity
The only chains and shackles that prevent any of us from realizing our life’s dreams are those we ourselves forge in the fires of doubt and hammer out on the anvil of lack of belief in what we say or do.
Will Rogers, bless his great heart, said:
KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING
LOVE WHAT YOU ARE DOING
BELIEVE IN WHAT YOU ARE DOING
Where can we find any directional compass in life better than this?
I know of no qualities that can be a better formula to follow – a safer directional compass – than these three great directives of Will Rogers. Study them carefully and have faith in their guiding quality. They can lead only success.
Excerpt from Og Mandino’s University of Success.
Bantam Books, 1982
ISBN 0-553-34535-4
